.png){kind=logo}
Update: Library hours have now been extended till 4:00 p.m.
As the final bell rings, many students are faced with many decisions on going about their day. Should they stay for tutorial and finish working on homework, rush to their car to beat the traffic on their way home or grab a bite to eat? However, some students do not have the luxury to leave immediately after school and instead must wait to be picked up.
Finding a ride home can be especially difficult for freshmen and sophomores who cannot drive to school yet. Most of these students rely on their parents to pick them up, but many parents cannot get off work in time to meet the 3:00 p.m. bell. Having to wait for parents to be let off work and come get students can cause students to feel judged by others, frustrated and even anxious when their pick-up times are unpredictable. The school library closing at 3:30 p.m. sharp does not help this, as many students either do not have enough time to complete their work or are left scrambling to find a place to sit while they wait for a ride. Students struggle figuring out where to go or what to do past 3:30 p.m. especially because tutorial ends at that time as well. Extending hours would allow students waiting their ride to stay in a safe place and ease stress on where to go.
If the library extended its hours, it would also ease some stress for students by allowing them to be productive and access Wi-Fi and resources they may not have at home. This extra time could help students improve their schoolwork and stay on track as students rely on the library as a place to go to study, read and focus. This is important as the library fosters such a productive environment which not every student feels at home.
Limited library hours are not just a problem for students waiting for a ride: they also negatively impact athletes. Sports practices and games can take place anywhere from 3:45 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. but students might not be able to go home in between these times or even find a ride back. Some sports have a time you must be at the school before a game or meet. Gymnasts for example had to be at the school at 4:45 p.m. for their meets. The time in between the end of the school and the meet is not long enough for some students to be able to leave, so the library closure can be very inconvenient as athletes could be utilizing the library to study while they wait.
Whether you are an athlete, waiting for a ride or need an environment to study, the library is an essential resource to ensure students’ time is not wasted but instead being used efficiently. If the library stayed open longer time being spent waiting for a ride or event could be used towards keeping up on schoolwork in a safe environment.
